When global giants like Syngenta and Bayer, and large scale NZ businesses such as Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms, start paying attention to Regen Agriculture, it’s a sign that we at the grassroots level must do likewise.
And we are. But in NZ, perhaps anti-degeneration is the way forward, rather than regeneration. Let me explain.
KingPhos, Replenish, and SeaPhos (pictured) are three anti-degenerative dicalcic phosphate fertilisers that deliver essentials nutrients while looking after the soil and waterways.
Regen Ag origins
Academic sources state that Regen Ag originated in the USA with the establishment of the ‘Regenerative Agricultural Association’ in the 1980s by Robert D. Rodale. The goal was to reverse the harm to the soil caused by intensive agricultural practices. The devastating soil erosion resulting from large scale cropping in the US Mid-West over the last 160 years is an example of this.
However, for the most part here in NZ, our soils have not been degenerated to anywhere near the same extent.
Regen strategies to regenerate soils include crop rotation, planting cover crops, livestock integration, reducing soil tillage, growing diverse pasture species, and removing pesticides, herbicides and nutrient inputs. These are mostly all good agricultural practices, and a lot of our pastoral farmers already apply several of them.
However, what our NZ farmers seem to be particularly interested in is growing diverse pasture species, and changing the inputs they use. It is the latter that I want to address here.
Nutrient Inputs in NZ
One of the claims made by some Regen commentators is that applying fertiliser is a bad thing and that farming doesn’t need it!
This is clearly false, and science and experience tells us so. You can’t remove plant and animal products from the land without returning the nutrients used to grow them. It’s a simple sum, really. If you take something and don’t give back, you run out.
However, it’s completely unnecessary to harm the environment and degrade the physical and biological state of the soil by overusing fertiliser or applying the wrong product.
Anti-Degen Solutions
Fortunately, solutions are at hand. We already have fertiliser products that deliver essential nutrients to maintain production without degenerating the soil or waterways.
A great example is dicalcic phosphate which has two major advantages over traditional Superphosphate. Firstly, it has a liming effect. So it’s kinder on soil biology. Secondly, dicalcic phosphate is less water soluble. Nutrient loss to the environment is reduced. Less lost means less need be applied, and money is saved. But most importantly, production is not compromised.
Granulated dicalcic phosphates like Fertco’s Replenish and KingPhos solve even more problems: product placement is more accurate and nutrients don’t end up where they shouldn’t.
Another example is polymer-coated urea (PCU). While traditional nitrogen products are notoriously prone to leaching, PCU is not. This is because the polymer-coating around the urea granule releases the nutrients slowly over a three month period. Results show that 50% more pasture per Kg of nitrogen applied is grown, so productivity is retained while losses are reduced.
More natural fertilisers are another solution. ‘SeaPhos’ is a prime example. A collaboration between Agrisea and Fertco, SeaPhos is a dicalcic phosphate with sulphur, lime, and naturally-brewed seaweed biostimulants, all wrapped up in each granule.
Of course, to avoid waste and soil degradation, a regular soil test is a must. But don’t just test for basic nutrients. Test for soil biology, organic matter level, carbon level, and C:N ratio, and get a visual soil assessment (VSA) done. These are all effective indicators of soil health, and why they are part of Fertco’s CloverZone® programme, designed to increase soil health and clover growth.
Regen or Anti-degen?
NZ farmers don’t need to take the drastic step of ‘going without’ fertiliser altogether. With the products and practices we already have, and the innovative thinking we Kiwis are known for, we can solve our problems. So I would suggest that farmers and farming in NZ would be better served by an Anti-Degen approach (avoiding degeneration) rather than a Regen one (complete regeneration).
This article was published in the Coast & Country News.
